Peel Issues

[bickett]

I have recently used a new technique which has caused trouble sliding pies off of the peel I use. More accurately, it's not sliding them off as much as keeping the toppings stable:

Recently I started using small mozzarella balls on the pies. Unfortunately the balls completely loose position after hitting the oven and in more problematic instances, roll onto the oven surface.

This particular problem seems utterly remedial and silly however repositioning the mozzarella in the oven has caused a few burns and an interrupted process.

I assumed someone might have a suggestion or technique they could offer,

thanks,

Bickett

[Modthyrth]

Re: Peel Issues

My instinct would simply to be to cut the balls of mozzarella in half. Anything round and rolly seems inherently troublesome when quickly slipping the pizza off the peel. I'm still in the process of building my oven, so I can't offer more sophisticated peel technique advice yet, I'm afraid.

[bickett]

Re: Peel Issues

Thank you,

I certainly considered this method however I was worried the balls would cook to quickly and potentially burn the cheese.

though I must say, I have not yet tried it. I'll give it a shot.

thanks again,

Nathan

[Frances]

Re: Peel Issues

Maybe if you put the balls on right at the beginning, and the tomatoe sauce and whatever afterwards. I don't know how the pzza would turn out, but it'd give the balls something to catch up against before rolling onto the cooking surface.

[dmun]

Re: Peel Issues

Talk about toppings wiggling off, I got a request for an egg in the center of the pizza, as they do in Europe. What a mess: by the time i got it off the peel, there was egg all over creation. On a second try i ladled the raw egg on after the pizza hit the brick: The pizza cooked a lot more quickly than the egg did. It was rather charred before the egg set up.

[berryst]

Re: Peel Issues

This is what I do in pizza land

Toppings first particularly feta ...because it rolls

Grated cheeses last.

Then I press the cheese over the toppings with open faced hands. The result is a sorta formed cheese dome that hold all the ingredients together. I believe the end product with the cheese on top is better. The topping are locked in place and don't roll off when the Peel loads the pizza

Works for me

berryst

[Wiley]

Re: Peel Issues

So does anyone know how they cook the egg in the center of the pizza? There's obviously a technique that they use that once one knows it, it is not a problem....anyone witness it being done?

Wiley

[PizzaPolice]

Re: Peel Issues

This is pretty simple. Cheese is last. You should use chunks as grated cheese will burn. I take the cheese hunks and squish them in my hand, then place them on the pizza. Don't press them into the pizza as you will lose your "wheels". Slide it right in. Occasionally, you will lose something off the pizza as it is loaded in. Don't sweat it. Just offer it up to the pizza gods. They appreciate it.

[asudavew]

Re: Peel Issues

Last night I started using just flour under my pizzas instead of the usual cornmeal. I had problems keeping toppings on too because the flour made the dough stick to the peel....

Somehow I remembered a video someone posted here a while back. It showed someone picked up the edge of the dough and blowing under it just before placing the pizza in.. I tried it and it worked great!
I blew under the dough and it immediately started sliding around.

Give it a try.

Dave

[ross]

Re: Peel Issues

i did my first pizzas this weekend after after the third one i found
a way of getting the pizza onto the oven floor..

My son was making very thin pizza on a wooden peel and then bringing them out to the oven.

with my left hand i placed this in the oven where i wanted it to cook
and with my metal peel in my right hand and angling the wooden
peel towards me placed the metal peel under the the front of the pizza and pulled the wooden peel towards me ..

the metal peel slips easy under any sticky pizza and places it exactly where you want it..

If that makes sense....

[Ken524]

Re: Peel Issues

We jiggle our peel every 30 seconds or so while building the pizza to make darn sure it easily slides around. When it does stick, a little lifting of the crust and some flour usually takes care of it.

[Mojoe]

Re: Peel Issues

I've had best success with a wood peel with flour rubbed into it than anything. Going on close to 30 pies in a row without one open faced calzone. I also imploy the jiggle method during assembly and pay close attention to cleaning up any sauce drips on the peel. One little spec of sauce and its end over end into the coals.

[Joepizza]

Re: Peel Issues

Order of ingredients that seems to work for me.

Sauce, which for me is finely diced tomatoes only, per the Neapolitan pizza code.

Anything already cooked or that does not need cooking

Cheeses

Anything that needs cooking, like raw meats or raw veggies

[stonylake]

Re: Peel Issues

get a cheap egg slicer from the kitchen store and slice the mozarella balls.. works great.. rice flour on the peel..

[lt4827]

Re: Peel Issues

I guess I would let the pizza cook its normal time, then just before pulling it, I would raise the peel into the dome area where it is super hot and hold it there until the egg cooked. How long would it take at 1000 degrees????? This is how I finish my pizzas because we like really bubbly browned cheese!!!